542 
MOUNTINGS FOE COAST AETILLEEY. 
deck below. This arrangement is not adapted,, therefore, to the land 
service. The trunnions of the B.L. gun are housed in metal castings 
which slide in grooves cut in the cast-steel cradle, and a lug, forming 
part of a ring, shrunk on to the breech gives an attachment for a cross¬ 
head actuating the buffer rod and two trains of springs. This ring is 
the only alteration required to the gun. The recoil is about 13 in. 
and the gun, after firing, is instantly run up by the springs. 
It seemed desirable to provide an alternative training gear, which is 
absent from the latest naval pattern mounting. While, therefore, the 
laying number has close to his hand a slow motion gear working through 
a worm, a supplementary quick spur training gear is added on the right 
side. A friction clutch actuated by a hand wheel disengages the 
worm gear and enables the training to be done from the right side. 
The slow gear will easily turn the mounting through 360° in one 
minute ; the quick gear requires only 20 seconds. 
A bar and drum sight is attached to the cradle on the left side, which 
could be duplicated on the right side; or an auto-sight could be pro¬ 
vided. A supplementary straight-edge foresight folding down is 
added to meet the requirements of Case II. 1 The elevation indicator is a 
drum close under the eye of the laying number and actuated by a tape 
from the cradle trunnions. Training angles are shown on a similar 
adjacent drum. The laying number stands on a step forming part of the 
mounting, and has both elevating and training gear close to his hand. 
The operations of loading are performed from a fixed loading stage. 
The projectiles and charges have to be handed up by numbers 
standing on the emplacement floor, and the conditions seem quite 
as favourable to rapid fire as those on board ship. I hope that a 
speed of 1*5 rounds per minute will be attainable with the B.L. gun, 
two rounds with the B.L. and Q.F. gun and five rounds with the Q.F. 
gun. 
The first Q.F. mounting (Mark I.) is very similar in design to 
Plate III., but somewhat more compact since the gun is trunnion¬ 
less. In the latest Mark II. design (Plate II.), the gear is differently 
arranged so as to be completely protected on the broadside by the 
curved shield while the elevation indicator is placed below the shield 
so that it can be read by an officer on the emplacement floor. The 
Mark II. mountings, which are under manufacture, will be extremely 
neat and compact. They will have auto-sights on the left side, and the 
training and elevating wheels will be on the same spindle. There is 
alternative gear worked from the emplacement floor. The 4'7-inch 
Q.F. mounting is very similar. 
HI. — 9'2-in. B.L. barbette , Mark III. (Plate IV.). 
Here also the mounting is placed upon a cast-iron pedestal, built up 
in two parts. By this means a large bearing surface upon the con¬ 
crete foundation is secured, and, at the same time, the emplacement is 
not inconveniently filled up. The service 6-in. H.P. racer path is 
i I believe that for Case II. a straight-edge foresight and a V backsight is greatly preferable 
to two straight-edges. 
